In the above referred-to applications, a new type of intravascular devices was disclosed. The new type of intravascular devices provided for the selective positioning of multiple other intravascular devices into a distal vascular region.
Interventional cardiology and interventional radiology have developed rapidly in recent years. Interventional therapies such as balloon angioplasty and atherectomy are now regularly employed in the treatment of vascular disease or other conditions that occlude or reduce the lumen size of portions of the vascular system. Additional therapeutic technologies and treatments hold promise for providing further advancement against vascular diseases.
In addition, intravascular diagnostic techniques have been developed to measure or image the extent of an occlusion of a vessel, (e.g. stenosis). Such diagnostic techniques include ultrasonic imaging, fiber optic imaging, Doppler and other flow measurements, and so on.
The above noted therapies and diagnostic techniques have achieved acceptance because of their effectiveness as well as the fact that they can be performed through a minor surgical procedure that is relatively non-disruptive to the patient. Therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, such as those described above, rely on the positioning of a device into the vascular system of a patient via an incision at a location, such as the femoral artery, that is remote from the site of the stenosis. Because the aforementioned therapies and diagnostic procedures rely upon positioning a device in the affected area, an important defining factor limiting the effective deployment of any of these devices is how small the device can be made. It is often in vessels of small inner diameters or tortuous passageways that stenosis occurs. Thus, it is often preferable to make such therapeutic and diagnostic devices as small as possible to fit into remote coronary sites or other vessel locations where the vessel lumen inner diameters are very small.
In order to facilitate placement and positioning of such therapeutic or diagnostic devices into distal vessel sites, positioning devices, such as guide wires and guide catheters, may be used. Guide wires are used to obtain a position in a distal vessel site so that other intravascular devices, such as a therapeutic or diagnostic device, can be advanced over the guide wire to the distal vessel site. Guide wires may be considered to support and facilitate the other types of interventional devices. Numerous kinds of guide wires are available, including steerable types. Guide wires may also be used therapeutically to open a passageway through a blocked vessel.
It is sometimes necessary to exchange one intravascular device for another. For example, it is sometimes necessary to exchange one balloon catheter for another of a different size or exchange a balloon catheter for another therapeutic or diagnostic device, if it is determined to be needed. Also, it is sometimes necessary to exchange guide wires, for example, if the physician is unable to cross a stenosis with the original guide wire. It is also sometimes necessary to use two balloons during the same procedure. Although presently available guide wires, guide catheters, and balloon dilation catheters provide for a degree of exchangeability, presently available intravascular devices are not readily exchangeable with newer emerging technologies or devices.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new intravascular device that facilitates use and placement of multiple other intravascular devices in a vessel of a patient.